Aerial landing and launching apparatus



. R. GIBBONS AERIAL LANDING AND LAUNCHING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 50, 192 4 3 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 10, 1925- R. GIBBONS AERIALLANDl NG AND LAUNGiiING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 30, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet; 2

,WAGWWW p I Nov. 10 1925;

' R. GIBBQNS AERIAL LANDING AND LAUNCHINGlAPPARATUS .3 Sheets-sheaf '5 iled Jah. so,' 1924 Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,560,775 PATENT OFFICE.

'mcmn cannons, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASIIGHOE r0 MARY'AQ xmvnnv, on

Janeen-Jun, NEW Yonx.

AERIAL LANDING AND LAUINGHING APIE'ARATUS.

Application filed January 30, 1924. Serial No. 889,444.

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that I, RICHARD Cannons, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Aerial Landing. and Launching Apparatus, of which the following is a. specification.

The invention relates to a platform adapted to be mounted in locations, where .it is desired to land or launch an aerial the platform is honeypombed and provided v with fans or blowers to withdraw air uniformly through the openings in the platform, thereby preventing the building up of an air bank underneath the wings of an airplane in lending, which otherwise would tend to prevent it from settling .upon the platform; or in the case of launching these fans or blowers may be reversed to pro ect a column of air on to the wings of an sirplane from underneath to assist in lifting the letter from off the runway.

The construction of the platform is such that the rerefaction of the air in landing or the building up of air pressure in launching, as above described, will be substen 'tielly uniform, and therefore avoids. the

' creation of unbalanced forces upon the cirplane as it passes over the platform.

Certain devices, later to be describedin greater detail, are preferably provided in connection with the platform, to assist. in bringing a vehicle to rest thereon, and preferably the platform is provided, at its for end, with a safety screen, or the like, which will be interposed across the path of travel of the vehicle and stop the letter in case the above-mentioned devices for any reason have failed to bring it to rest.

The above and other features of the in vention will be more thoroughly understood as the description proceeds and it should be noted that the various devices on the platform need not all be used in combination with each other zilthough they are.

preferably so used. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general top plan view of a the platform embodying the various features of the invention;

Fig. 1 is an enlarged detail section taken on line longitudinally of Fig. 1.' i

Fig. 1 is a similar section taken on line transversely of Fig. 1.

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a side view and a bottom plan view of the structure as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4: is aplan view partly in section, 05

showing, detached, .the turret support for the platform; I

Fig. 5- is a vertical sectional view taken centrally throughFig'. 4:.

The platform as a whole is preferably" rotatably and tiltably supported so as to enable it to be turned in different directions according to the wind and to be tilted todifl'erent angles to provide an incline for assisting in bringing an airplane to rest or I launching it. As shown, the platform as a whole is carried by a turret 1 running on circulartracks 2 (Fig. 5) having anti-friction rollers 3 which are interposed between ried by the turret 1. A king-pin 5 may also be provided at the centre of the turret 1 w and engaging el hub 6 on the platform base. As shown, the turret and platform are tracks 2 and similar tracks 4 and cartnrned in a horizontal plane by means of a motor 7 within the turret which drives a worm 8 ,meshing wiih a worm-wheel 9 on a vertical shaft 10 carrying at its lower end a pinion 11 which meshes with an internal gear 12 fixedly carried by the base on which the platform is mounted. For tilting the platform a separate motor 13 is provided within the turret 1 and driving a worm 14 which in turndrives a worm gear 15 on a horizontal shaft 16. The. platform 'as a whole is pivoted to the turret 1 as by means of pins 17 passing through bearings 18 on the top of the turret and blocks 19 on the undersurface of the platform. which the platform' is maintained depends upon the position of a shaft 20 which is pivoted to the platform at its upper, end and threaded into a sleeve 21 carried by a shaft 22 which is provided with a beveled gear 23 driven by a gear 24 on the shaft 18- previously described. Thus, when the motor 13" is actuated the sleeve 21 will be turned to change the inclination of -the platform as desired, Both of themotors- 7 and The angle at 1 o 2 Q) I vi/lush su o pm i l may be mmlo ioversiiole Willi ormlrols oiling to suitably loostooi stations ou ills e not? rm. whoi'oby the opal-slo may adjust ilio ls z'ser as i esiroi.

The. plstform itself nuiy oo fol-mod sfiomlsrcl Si'SEfiCiZHK'&l shops, tlio oonstl'uction of which "will nolo loo (lssci'ibgl in detail. 'lllio surfoos or runway ovoi' which (bias serial vofslois is provided wiizlisulfaalolo opsiiings to permit oil: to be iimwm dowowsiiiidly :li'om above line pluiioim iluougla label opsiiitog oi. pivojoctoil upwsiviig ilisz'oslmouygh msy Tbs closiioil. A. ficiouisiumlioi oi. thsso oysuiziggo is pioviiloillo il'isllis 33% corresponding oii time oiotioizuiofi liousycomboil u iruolui'o, illlog; pomiittiug withdrawal of oi s oii" lo imlioom ovsr oiilifoi'oiio moss -.loovs ialio gsylo'i form. is iussoco is :orovils will: s oi? orossploosa M 25? summing; lomggilu no 3, of m giloifoirm E116; (loosed oogpfioiziiiio oosliings 53-8 tlioroissiweou iluougl: lls flisy pass, as above described. A fioos 29 below llio slats 27 fliorms s box-like oilolosuro or chamberbenealh the lstleisii such 002" is provids with a plurality of openings 30 in which one located. fans or blowers 3.1 of any suitable type. i As shown blowers are fiii voii by a plurality belts or chains ostonclml from suitable rsvorsiblo XIEOZLOI'S 33. Thus the blowers may operate to withdraw air from zilbove.

Transverse slop members 34:, which may be in the form of cables or rods stmmg across il1 platform over openings 28.. yieldfsbly loilfilti the motion of ills veliiolo as it the. platform. TlRQSQ stop .mon'lbors aro pretlt'orsbl y souiswhs s elevated above ilie surfu-oe oi" one :Qlfi'ilfflifil in landing buls if the platform is so ho used for launching purposes the members 34- ore preferably moved lo a non-obstructing pool-- hon. is shown moro' particul. rely in Figs. 1 and. 1 the cables 34 may lie swung ogsitiou, whom the spplu'stus is being used or lonrlizig purposes.

Ii? 18 also preferred to provide the platfoiln with guide members which will assist.

dimming s; vsliiole to travel in the do siirocl directionin lszicling. Those guide momoom msy tslito the form of a plurality oi psisllsl stool cables or foils extending? ioiiglihwiso of ills giiatfoi'm sod olevateri somowlmt soovo-ils surfoos sud. shove the cools-ii so as lo ougs e tho wheel, will skid oi" oilis'i: owowsnfiy oXl-emlod ports oliills which. i l sull'ioioni; number oi those guioio, momlasrs is provided; as enable a vehiollo toong sgo the some witlmz' requiring loo osroiul positioning of tho vehicle o tho opom'toi" oi the limoii: iuiiially ougsgl. 1 silo guids numbers and; ofioi' such inifaisl engagement the golds members ac s to com fine the vehicle to; o plush of travel isug'ili- Wise of the guide members. 4

As shown. tho cables or i'ools 35 ms sisi ung lzetuseu suitable suppoi'iiug larackslcs 36' at the far oml oi"? tho platform oni similsi' support-s 37' which, in the present 'iustsuoo. ms mouulzod upon. an adjustable R's-mo 38 which oonslitutos the forward end oi? the platform and may be suitably ole'i'siecl or (lopi'ossed as by means of a oomprsssocl oil" cylinder 39 located beneath tho ramp and having a plunger 40 supporting the some. Tho guide members 85 are preferably yield silly maiutsinocl in )OSllZiOll at intermediate points along; their length, as by means of ooil springs 40 (Fig. 2) between them and fillGSS PiQQBS 26.

ll; 1s preferred, also, to provide a plaiform with o barrier which in miss the sirplane is not brought to rest within asuitable distance for any reason, may bQ-PE'G- jeotod across the farencl of the platform to prevent the vehicle from passing compl'ossly oil iho latter in landing. As shown in Figs. 1 and 55 the platform is provided Willi a pivoted lrip 4.9 which controls the positiou of o fmmo-work 50 pivoiiorl at 51 to the platform and. carrying a barrier 52 which normally is Withdrawn from obstructing position. But in case the iii 49 is actuated lay the passage of the vehicle thoroovoro latch which normally holds the frame in Withdrawn position, will. be moved. away. from fihe frame 50 due to the oonnem lion 5% between the iaich and tho lri 49. A Weight connected to the frame 50 will thsn move the latter upwardly until the baririel 52 of-Wire mot on; or line like is inilo terposed across the path of travel of a rehicle along the platform.

\Vhile certain specificembodiinents of the invention have been'described it will be ohvious that many changes may be made therein without departing from its principles, as defined in the following claims.

\Vhat I claim is: V

1. An apparatus for landing or launching aerial vehicles comprising a table-like platform honeycombed to permit air to pass substantially uniformly through different areas thereof, and-air blowers acting upon the space beneath said platform to withdraw air from upper side of the platform to the lower. l

2. An apparatus for landing or launching aerial vehicles comprising .a platform having aaplurality of parallelasupporting mem-- bers spaced to provide openings therebetween, said apparatus having an air chamber underneath said platform and air blowers associated with said chamber to withdraw air from upper side of the platform to the lower. v

-3. An apparatus for landing or launching .ierial vehicles comprising a. platform having a plurality of parallel supporting members spaced to provide openings therebetween, said apparatus having an air chamber underneath said platform and air blowers associated with said chamber to withdrawair from upper side-of the platform to the lower.. 1

. 4-An apparatus for landing or launching aerial vehicles com rising a platform proriding a runway adapted to receive a vehi cle, a barrier member disposed adjacent the far. end of the runway, and normally held out of vehicle obstructing (position, together with meansdpermitting sai barrier member to be move intovehiele obstrueting'position.

5. An apparatus for landing or launching aerial vehicles comprising" a platform providing a runway adapted to receive a vehicle, a barrier member disposed adjacent the far end of the runway, and normally held out of vehicle obstructing position, together with means actuated by the movement of the vehicle past a predetermined point on said runway for permitting said barrier member to move into vehicle obstructing .position.

'6. An apparatus for landing on launching aerial vehicles comprising a platform providing a runway adapted to receive a vehicle, a framework pivoted adjacent the far end of the runway and carrying a barrier adapted to extend across the runway in one osition of said framework, said framework eing normally held in position beneath launching vehicles,

tion to engage and able transverse stop members disposed across the platforma-bove said openings.

8. Anapparatus for landing or launching aerial vehicles comprising -a platform having openings therein, air blowers associated with said platform to withdraw air from upper side thereof to the lower, and trans,--'-

verse cables stretching across the platform above. said openings.

9. An apparatus for landing or launching aerial vehicles comprising a platform having openings therein, air blowers-associated with said platform to transfer 'air from one side thereof to the other, yieldable trans verse stop membersdisposed across the platform above said openings, and means adjustable to hold said stop members in nonobstructing position when-desired.

10. An apparatus for landing or launching aerial apparatus comprising a platform providing a runway adapted to receive a vehicle, a plurality of yieldable stop membersdisposed transversely across said plat-- form and normally maintained in a position somewhat elevated above the surface of the platform, and means adjustable to hold said stop members in non-obstructing position when desired.

11. An apparatus for landing aerial vehicles comprising a table-like platform honeycombed to-permit air to pass substantially uniformly through different areas thereof, said ap aratus having an air L'lltlllb ber underneath aid-platform, and air blowers associated with said chamber to transfer air from abovethe platform to the chamber.v

12. In an apparatus for landing or a runway having-stop members mounted above the same in posimembers may be adjusted toremain in non;

RICHARD s nuous.

retard the motion of a I vehicle passing thereover, supporting means 

